1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to seating devices and in particular to pick-up truck liners and seating attachments.
2. Description of Related Art
It is seen that many pick-up truck owners purchase some type of protective liner to guard the cargo box and tailgate finish from heavy payload such as wood, cinder blocks, or similar material which will tend to scratch its surface. After loading and unloading such cargo it is seen, on many occasions, that people search for a comfortable and convenient place to sit while resting. Often a pick-up truck tailgate in the horizontal position is used as a makeshift seat. This is also noted at other outdoor events such as watching soccer at the local park, while fishing along a riverbank, or at the construction site during break. Without a backrest, however, this type of seat is uncomfortable and creates back strain. Such a backrest should not, however, interfere with the capacity or usefulness of the pick-up box or the exterior appearance of the vehicle. It is evident that there is a need for a simple, compact, convenient, and inexpensive liner which will provide a back-rest support for a pick-up truck tailgate. It must still protect the finish, be convenient to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable enough to withstand field use. This invention provides the means to fulfill these needs.
Reference is made to a number of prior art designs that have been developed to provide various means for an exterior vehicle seat and backrest. However, no prior art is known to exist which, in a practical manner, does not destroy the main utility of the pick-up truck vehicle. That is, to maintain full pick-up box cargo volume and to not impede cargo loading and unloading convenience. Previous liner and seating structures heretofore designed are complex, require attaching and detaching devices, storage, are expensive to manufacture, bulky, and greatly reduce pick-up box cargo volume and or impede cargo loading and unloading.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,774 to James C. Cananaugh discloses a "Vehicle Exterior Body Panel Seat".
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,462,334, 5,215,346, 5,000,504, and 4,911,493, each provide some form of exterior vehicle seat and back-rest support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,852 to Paul G. Filer discloses a "Bleacher Back-Rest". This portable design primarily consists of two main moldable plastic panels which fold open, interlock, and clamp to a bleacher to form a comfortable seat.
Whatever merits of the above cited designs, none of them fulfill the main objects of the present invention. Previous designs all sacrifice the main utility of the pick-up vehicle. Payload volume is greatly reduced as well as easy access for loading and unloading of the cargo box. The aforementioned designs also require storage when not in use. It is therefore shown that there is a need for a convenient, integral liner and seat back-rest design that utilizes the existing tailgate and latching brackets, does not reduce payload volume, does not impede cargo loading or unloading convenience, and also protects the tailgate finish. In these respects it is seen that this invention substantially departs from prior art designs, and in doing so fulfills the aforementioned needs.